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Riley Warren – Unstoppable on North Run

Clay Ullery and Riley Warren – Wainwright Stampede photo by Billie-Jean Duff

Airdrie, AB – Six for Six.

Riley Warren can’t recall a better streak in his rodeo career. “It came at the right time,” the Stettler, Alberta two-event hand acknowledged. “It was kind of a slow start to the season so it’s awesome to get it going like this right now.”

The streak Warren is referring to is the north run that wrapped up over the past weekend with a Finning Pro Rodeo Tour stop at Dawson Creek, BC and another edition of the long-standing Jasper Heritage Rodeo. After easing into the north run with a fifth place cheque in the team roping alongside heading partner Clay Ullery at the High Prairie Elks Pro Rodeo, then a second place tie-down roping finish at Grimshaw’s North Peace Stampede, the stage was set for the tremendous run that would follow. Three rodeos, six runs, six cheques – including a couple of first place finishes.

At La Crete’s Field of Dreams Stampede, Warren and Ullery split 2/3 in the team roping for $884 per man and Warren added a 5/6 split for a $725 tie-down roping cheque. From there it was off to Jasper where the 28 year old took home top money in the tie-down event ($1556) with an 8.0 second run, then scooped up a 4th place cheque of $508 with Ullery in team roping. And to top off the week, Warren spilt the tie-down roping win at Dawson Creek with Keely Bonnett for a tidy $2245 and coupled with that was a second place team roping cheque (5.8 seconds, $1458).

The flurry of positive results see Warren climbing the standings in both tie-down roping and team roping and moving past two time champion, Morgan Grant, in the High Point race.

“My first priority is always the CFR,” Warren noted. “I’d really like to be there in two events because it just gives you that many more chances to win. But once I’ve got that handled, then I can think a little bit about season leader awards and stuff like that. But mostly I just want to win as much money right now as I can because it all matters when it comes down to that last day at the CFR.”

Warren was especially proud of his horses during the north run. “My mare, Mona, has just been getting better and better,” he stated. “Four guys rode her at Dawson Creek and all four placed on her including Keely and I splitting first.”

But the really cool story is the four-time CFR qualifier’s heeling horse, Jag. “I bought him back from a horse buyer for $500 at the Innisfail horse sale a year and a half ago. He was halter broke and that’s all. And here we are winning pretty regularly a year and a half later. I had to give him some time off earlier this season but since I brought him back, he’s been really good.”

Warren also credited partner Clay Ullery for the success in the team roping. “He’s one of the best headers in Canada and that’s why I went back heeling this year.”

The week of successes has allowed Warren to apply pressure to Morgan Grant and Al Bouchard at the top end of the tie-down roping standings and he and Ullery both moved up a couple of notches on the team roping leaderboard as well.

Another team-roping combination making some noise courtesy of a solid north run are Saskatchewan brothers -Tuftin and Tyce McLeod. The Waldeck cowboys capped off a productive trip to the north country with a winning 5.5 second run at Dawson Creek to pocket $1675 each. That came on the heels of a sixth place cheque at Jasper and a 2/3 split at La Crete. Their earnings total of just over $2700 has projected the ropers very much into the CFR conversation.

After an abbreviated CPRA schedule last year, the duo from just outside of Swift Current has made the 2018 CFR a priority. “We just wanted to get our feet wet last year,” older brother and header Tuftin said, “But we decided to go after it really hard this year. Both Tyce and I have struggled at different points this season but the north run really helps the confidence. After this last week we think we’ve given ourselves a chance.”

The brothers who are former CCA year-end champions, are serious enough about the CFR run that Tyce, who at 21 is two years younger than Tuftin, has decided to put his collegiate career on hold. He has three years at Hobbs, New Mexico under his belt but for now wants to concentrate fully on the final weeks of the CPRA season.

And in the barrel racing, Lacombe teenager Justine Elliott celebrated her 16th birthday with a pair of wins. She topped the field at Dawson Creek with a 17.422 second run for $2303 and added a flawless 13.064 second trip around the barrels at Jasper for another $1302.84. The twin successes propel the young cowgirl into the top twenty in the Canadian standings as the season enters the home stretch.

For complete unofficial results head over to rodeocanada.com.

This week, CPRA athletes will make their way to the Pincher Creek and Cranbrook Pro Rodeos – August 17-19.

About the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association:
The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with headquarters in Airdrie, Alberta is the sanctioning body for professional rodeo in Canada. The CPRA approves over 50 events annually with a total payout exceeding $5.1 million. The organization holds the Grass Roots Final September 27-28 at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta and their premiere event – the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) – at the ENMAX Centrium, Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alberta, October 30 – November 4. Follow the CPRA on Twitter and Instagram @prorodeocanada, ‘Like’ Canadian Professional Rodeo Association on Facebook or online at RodeoCanada.com.

Courtesy of CPRA

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